Signal system.



E. F. BLISS.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2a, 1909.

1,102,861 Patented July 7, 1914,

w 01 @1400) I \l Q g I FU UNITE il STATES Pg'IENT OFFICE.

ELMLR F. BLISS,0F SGHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE UNION SWI'ICI-I AND SIGNAL! COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1914.

ten'is, of which the following is a specifica-' tion.

ll ly invention relates to block signal sys tems for single track sections between sta' tions, and 1ts ObJGCl) is to provide a novel ar-' rangement for such a system, whereby traflic may be expedited. Such systems are ordinarily so arranged that the cooperation of the operators at both stations is necessary to set the signals for traffic in either direction. My system is also thus arranged. In

such systems, however, when track relays are employed for throwing the signal to: stop when a train enters the block, it has been necessary, if a second train is to follow the first, for both operators to cooperate again to set the signal to admit the second train.

After the signals have once been set for traffic 1na given dlrection, the operator at the entrance of the block can adnnt as many trains as he wishes without calling upon the.

operator" at the other end. To reverse the direction of traffic, however, the cooperation of both operators is required.

On long single track sections with sidings, it is frequently desirable that a slow train should run part way through the section and then take a siding to allow a fast train to pass in one directlon or the other.

My invention comprises an arrangement such that, when a train has entered a siding, the switches for the si.dingare locked, so as to prevent the train from leaving it, if the direction of traffic is reversed, but as long as the signals are set for the direction of traffic in which the train on the siding is headed, the siding switchesare unlocked, so that the train on the siding may leave whenever the usual switch indicators show that the track is cleared.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a block signal'system arranged in accordance with With my system such cooperation for a second tram is rendered unnecessary my invention, and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a detail.

In the drawing, A and B represent two stations connected by a single track section. The arrangement of apparatus at both stations is identical, the same reference letters being used to indicate the same apparatus except that the reference letters for the sta tion B are primed.

C represents the signal at station A go erning the admission of trains to the single track section from that station.

7) represents a track battery and c a track relay.

D represents a battery for furnishing current for the signal C and for the control circuits.

E represents a stick relay having a winding 6 for closing its contacts and a winding 6 for maintaining the contacts closed. F represents a second stick relay.

G, H and I represent push buttons. G has a normally open back contact, H a normally closed front and normally open back contact, and I a normally closed front contact.

J represents a signal lever controlling the signal. Cby means of a contact K controlled by the lever or by the lever latch. The connections between levers J and J and contacts K and K are indicated in dotted lines. As far as the signal C alone is concerned,

the lever'J could be omitted and the switch contact K actuated directly by hand, but since the signal would ordinarily in practice he interlocked with other apparatus, I have shown the signal controlled by a lever such as is ordinarily employed in interlocking machines.

6 represents a battery connected to a track circuit on a siding between stations.

L represents a magnet connected to the track circuit taking the place of the usual track relay.

M represents a polarized relay connected in a line wire, the circuit of which is controlled by relays E and E. When relay E is energized and relay E is deenergized, as

shown, the left-hand end of the line wire is connected to the lower terminal of battery D and its right-hand end to theupper terminal of this battery. If relay E were energized and relay E de'energized, the rightclose the contacts.

hand terminal of the wire wouldbe connected to the lower terminal of the battery D and the left-hand end of the line wire to the other terminal of this battery. Relays E and E are operated, one being energized and the other deenergized, whenever the direction of traffic is reversed. Consequently, the current in the line wire to which polarized magnet M is connected is reversed whenever the direction of traflic is changed. Magnet L and relay M together control the switch lock magnets N, supplied from the battery 0.

The manner of this control. and its purpose will be described later.

The apparatus is shown in the positions occupied for admitting a train from station A to the s1ngle track section.

Normally relays E, E, F and F, are de'energized and both levers J and J stand in the normal position in which lever J is shown in the drawing. in order to clear signal C at station A, as shown, it was necessary for the operator at station A to depress push-button H at the same time that the operator at station B depressed push-bntton G. A circuit was thereupon closed from the lower terminal of battery D, through the middle finger andback contact of relay E, through pilsh button G, through theupper contact of push-button ll", uppercontact of track relay 0, upper contact of track relay 0,

minal of battery D.

tacts only contacts of the relay E itself and push-button I, so that the deenergization of stick relay E is wholly under the control of theoperator at station A. The closing of.

this maintaining circuit required the cooperation of both operators, but its open1ng is under the sole control ofthe operator at, station A. Relay E having been energized,

the operator at station A moved the lever J from normal to'the reverse positionin which it is shown in the drawing. This movement brought the contact K from the dotted line position to the position shown in full lines in which itis in engagement with contact 7a. In the first part of this movement, I

when contact K engaged contact Z: a circuit was closed from the upper terminal of battery D, through contacts k and K, winding of re'lay F, upper finger of relay E and lower finger {of track relay a to the lower terminal ofbattery D. This circuit ener gized relay F and caused it to close its contacts. Although the circuit which has just been traced was opened by the continuation of the movement of lever J relay F was not deenergized since its contacts formed a maintaining circuit for itself in shunt to the contact K. When lever J reached the full reverse position and contact K reached the full line position'and engaged contact is" a circuit was closed from the upper terminal of battery D, through contacts and K, signal C, lower finger'of track relay 0 to battery D.- Signal Cis, consequently, cleared V toadmit a train.-

' As soon as a train enters the single track section, track relay 0 is de'e'nergized and its lower contact opens the circuit of signal C and of stick relay F, so that signal C goes to stop and stick relay F is deenergized. After the train has left tee track circuit and relay 0 is again energized, signal C does not clear automatically, since its circuit is open at the contacts of stick relay F. In order to clear signal C and admit a second. train the operator at station A must throw the lever J back to normal position so as tobring con- Y tact K into engagement with contact k and thereby to energize relay F and then return lever J to reverse position,as shown, so as to return contact K intoengagement' with contact k. thus shift his lever each time a train is to be admitted. He does not, however, require the ceeperation of the operator at stat-ion B, since relay E remains energized. In other words, the operator at station B having once cooperated to energize relay E, the

direction of traffic is established from A to B and remains established until it is released by the operator at station A pressmg down The operator at station A mustpush button I to open the maintaining circuit of relay E. It, will be noted that'Ithe circuit establishing the energization of relay E passes through aback contact of relay E and v1ce versa, so that when one of these relays has oncebeen energized the other cannot be energized until the first has been deenergized again. I a

It will be noted in passing that I haveindicated signal O as a home signal controlled only bythe track section comprising battery I; andtrack relay 0; It will be understood however that I do'not confine myself to this one signal at each station, but th'a'taddr tional signaling devices may. if desired be employed at the stations or elsewhere'in the single track section for giving any desired information regarding the presence or absence of trains in any part of the-section. Sucharrangements are well-known in the art and form no part of myinvention and I have, therefore, omitted them in order to re duce the drawing to its simplest terms; The

train having been admitted'to the single'track section at station A may proceed through the section to section B, or may take the siding to allow another train to pass,'either in the same or in the opposite direction. When the train enters the siding, magnet L is deenergizeu. This in itself has no effect on the lock magnets N which remain energized, so that if the direction of traffic is not changed the train is free to leave whenever the usual switch indicators S, S indicate that the track is clear. The connections of these indicators are omitted from the drawing in order to avoid complication, since these connections would be made in accordance with standard practice and have nothing to do with my invention. If, however, while the train is on the siding, the direction of trailic is reversed, that is, relay E is deenergized and relay E energized so as to put signal C at stop and clear signal C, the direction of current through polarized relay M is reversed as has heretofore been explained. The armature of relay M then tends to move to the dotted line position, but is prevented from moving to that position by the hook on the armature of magnet L, which, when magnet L is de'elnergized, moves into the path of the armature of relay M as shown in Fig. 2. The armature of relay M moves far enough, however, to open the circuit of lock magnets N so that the switches are locked and the train on the sid ing is prevented from leaving until the direction of traffic, and, consequently, the current in relay M is again reversed.

Magnet L and relay M cooperate to control a train on the siding properly for either direction of movement. If the train had originally been admitted from station 13, relay M would have occupied the dotted line position, and when the train ran on to the siding and deenergized magnet L, the arma tur of this magnet would then have locked the armature of relay M so as to prevent it from moving to the full line position, though allowing it to move far enough to open the circuit of the switch lock magnets upon a reversal of traffic, so as to hold the train on the siding until the direction of traific was again reversed.

I do not desire to limit myself to the particular connections and arrangement of parts shown and described, but aim in the appended claims to cover all modifications which are within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a section of single track between stations, a signal-controlling circuit at one station, a closing circuit operable only by the cooperation of the operators at both stations for closing said signal-controlling circuit, a track circuit for the section including a track relay for controlling said closing circuit, said signal-controlling circuit when closed remaining closed independently of the opening of the closing circuit by said track relay, and a signal at said station controlled by said signal-controlling circuit.

2. In a block signal system for single track sections between stations, a stick relay at one station, a circuit controlling the energization of said relay arranged to be closed only by the cooperation of the operators at both stations, a maintaining circuit for said relay arranged to be opened only by the op erator at the first-mentioned station, and a signal at said station controlled by said relay.

3. In a block signal system for single track sections between stations, a stick relay at one station, a circuit controlling the energi- Zation ofsaid relay extending through the block and including two normally open, manually controlled, contacts at the two stations respectively, a maintaining circuit for said relay including as contacts only the relay contacts and a normally closed, manually controlled contact at the first mentioned station, and a signal at said station controlled by said relay.

4. In a block signal system for single track sections between stations, a stick relay at one station having one windingcontrolled by normally open, manually controlled, contacts at both stations and a second winding controlled only by a normally closed manually controlled contact at the first mentioned station, and a signal at said station controlled by said relay.

5. In a block signal system for single track sections between stations, a circuit at one station, means for closing said circuit operable only by the cooperation of the operators at both stations, means for opening said circuit operable only by the operator at the first mentioned station, a second circuit at said station controlled by the first, means controlled by a train in the block for opening said second circuit, and a signal at said. station controlled by said second circuit.

6. In a block signal system for single track sections between stations, a stick relay at one station, a circuit controlling the energization of said relay arranged to be closed only by the cooperation of the operators at both stations, a maintaining circuit for said relay arranged to be opened only by the operator at the first-mentioned station, a second stick relay at said station, a circuit for the energization of said second relay controlled by the first relay, by a normally open manually controlled contact at said sta sections between stations a track relay, a

stick relay at one station, a circuit control ling the energization of said stick relay controlled by two normally open, manually controlled, contacts at the two stations respectively, a maintaining circuit for said relay controlled only by a normally closed, manually controlled, contact at thefirst mentioned station, a second stick relay'at said station, a circuit controlling the energization of said second stick relay including contacts of the firststick relay and of the track relay and also a normally open, manually controlled, contact at said station, a maintaining circuit for said'secondstick relay including a contact of the said relay, said maintaining circuit shunting the last mentioned normally open contact, and a signal controlled by said second stick relay.

8. In combination, a section of single track between stations, a circuit atone station, means for closing said circuit operable only by the cooperation of operators at both stations, a second circuit at said station con- Copies' of this patent my be obtained for trolled by said first circuit and opened bya train in the section, means for closingsaid' second circuit operable only by the operator at said station, and a signal at said statio controlled by said second circuit. 9. In combination, a section of single track between stations, a relay at one station, means for closin said relay operable only by cooperation of operators at both stations, said relay When closed remaining closed in-, dependently of the closing means, means for opening said relay operable by the operator at the corresponding station, a :signal controlling circuit at the said station controlled by said relay and opened by a train in the section, and a signal controlled by said circuit.

In WltIlESSWllGI'GOf, I have hereunto set' five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. I 

